Second Chances
by RultaProductions
Summary: When an old enemy comes back, Tifa decides to hunt him down. But does he really want to hurt her, or does he simply need her help? And is he the only one who wants her? Post AC. AN: The start is a bit slow, but it gets better! Have patience, dear readers!
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own the characters in this fanfic, but I do own the story... Enjoy!_

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_She was strong, but she wouldn't stand a chance against him. __She knew that. Still, it didn't stop her for a second. She was too blinded by hate and sorrow to hesitate._

"_You ass!"_

_He only smirked. Lifted her up with one hand and threw her away. Her body felt numb when she hit the ground and everything turned black..._

**ooOoo**

"Tifa! TIFA!!"

Tifa opened her eyes. She was confused at first. Was it just a dream? It had felt so real. But her nightmares always felt that way, perhaps because she had experienced them in real life.

A hand shook her arm. She looked down to see Marlene watch her worriedly. Denzel stood in the doorframe.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"You screamed." She said, still worried. "We thought something had happened."

Denzel walked inside the room and stopped in front of the bed. His eyes were as secretly as ever.

"You dreamt about him again, didn't you?" She didn't know what to say. She never lied to them, or to anyone, but she didn't want to scare them either.

"It's nothing, kids." She smiled weakly at them. "Now, scoot off to bed. Both of you! It's school tomorrow!"

The kids glanced at each other and reluctantly went back to their own room. Before closing their door, Denzel turned around to look at her. She knew he didn't like the nightmares she got from time to time. So, she smiled at him once again to show that she was allright. He sighed and frowned, but eventually, he closed the door.

Tifa glanced over to the watch the time. 4.37. She knew she wasn't going to get any more sleep that night. Groaning, she rose from her bed and walked into her bathroom to take a shower.

5 years had passed since the event by the Mako reactor. Many things had happened since that night. Aeris was dead, killed by her nemesis. Cloud had never gotten over her, a fact that had put them in some real big trouble a couple of years ago, when three brothers tried to take over the world in search of Jenova. He didn't want to fight them, he didn't want to fight at all, but in the last moment something changed him. Eventually, the Avalanche members, along with Rufus Shinra and the turks, were able to stop them. Nowadays, Cloud was happy but still distant. He came to visit them once in a while, but never stayed for very long. Barret was helping ShinRa to rebuild the destroyed sections of Midgar and helped Tifa raise Marlene and Denzel. Yuffie had grown up to be a real woman. 'A _very _energetic woman that is.' Tifa smiled to herself. The ninja princess of Wutai wasn't one to sit still and drink tea all day long. Cid practically lived onboard his airship, doing God knows what. And Vincent was, well, he was Vincent. Nowone ever knew what he was up to, but he came around at special events.

And Tifa herself lived in a big empty house, which had far too many dark corners to make it a home...

**ooOoo**

Denzel and Marlene lie in their beds, wide-awake and staring up in the ceiling.

"She's _not_ okey..." Marlene turned her face and glared at him for even thinking something like that.

"Tifa wouldn't lie!" She snapped at him. Denzel sighed.

"She's not lying, she's just not telling us the truth." They were quiet for a while, thinking about Tifa. Her nightmares had been coming quite often lately. Marlene tucked her big teddy bear closer.

"Maybe you're right..." she whispered into the darkness.

**ooOoo**

'Finally!' A man opened his eyes with a smirk on his pale face. Mako green eyes glowed in the dark. 'Finally I'm free, nowone controlling my every move, every thought. No urge to kill every creature coming within my sight.'

The man rose, long silver hair flowing in the wind. He just stood there, thinking. The sun broke through the thick layers of dark clouds in the sky, rays of light lit up the church. He found himself standing on a field of bright coloured flowers. 'Pretty.'

He stood there for a moment, inhaling the peace that filled the air. It was time now. Time to make everything right. Time to win back what he lost 5 years ago.

The lifestream had given him a new chance to a better life, a good life. And he wasn't going to let that chance go to waste.

It wasn't going to be easy, he was well aware of that. But all was fair in love and war. 'I'm not letting her go this time...'


	2. Persuasions

A//N; Here's the second chapter! sorry for keeing you waiting for so long! I really hope you enjoy this chap, cause a was almost finished when I decided to take a totally different way in the story... Didn't want the mystery-man to get what he wants too easily... !

I've already started on the nex chapter so hopefully it won't take too long before you can read more... I'm home alone (except for the cat!) this weekened so then I will burst you with updates!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or places in this story that has already been mentioned in FFVII (/-AC). I do, however own my imagination and everything else...

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Tifa frowned when she picked up the phone. _'It's 10 pm! Who'd even think of calling at this hour?' _She sighed and hoped that the ringing didn't wake up the kids.

"Hello?"

"Is this Ms Tifa Lockheart?"

"May I ask who's asking?" She didn't mean to snap at the male person on the other line, but she really needed to get back to her costumers downstairs.

"I apologize. This is Tseng. I don't know if you remem..."

"I remember you." She REALLY didn't have time for small talk.

"Well. Good."

"Can you please get to the point? I'm busy." Rumbling was heard from downstairs. _'They better not be starting trouble!'_

"Of course Ms Lockheart. We have a job for you." Tifa frowned, getting more irritated by the second.

"I have a job. And right now I have to go and make sure that nowone is ruining my bar! Goodnight, Tseng." And before he could say anymore, she hung up.

**ooOoo**

A smile spread across Tseng's face when he heard the click as she hung up on him.

"Sorry, sir. She didn't seem so interested."

Rufus Shinra made a 180-degree turn to face the turk. He also had a hint of a smile on his lips.

"I didn't expect anymore."

"Sir?" Tseng frowned.

"Tifa Lockheart is a feisty woman. She's fought hard for the life she lives today." Rufus turned to the window again. He didn't want Tseng to see his face.

"Sadly, I need her too much to let her skills go to waste."

"What do we do, sir?"

"Tell Reno and Rude to go make some research at Ms Lockheart's bar. They know the drill."

"Yes, sir." Tseng turned on his heels and went to find his colleagues.

**ooOoo**

'_Teef sure knows how to attract the bad guys.' _Reno's eyes swept over the room. It was only 12 am, but the rutine of kicking out the troublemakers had already started. He leaned towards Rude across the table.

"15 gil that she'll take the job within ten minutes."

"Hmph." Reno took that as a yes. Clearing his throat, he looked around to locate the target. He found her standing behind the desk washing glasses. _'This is gonna be easy!' _he thought as he strolled over to her.

"Hiya, Teef."

"Reno." Tifa answered, not looking up from her glasses.

"Seriously, Teef. What's a girl like you doin' in a bar like this?" Reno took a sip from his whiskey.

"Running it."

"C'mon. This place isn't worthy of your attention, Teef. You can get outta this place and get a new job in no time!"

Tifa slammed the glass she'd held onto the desk, boiling with anger.

"Look, Reno! You can go to your little "sir" and tell him that I'm not INTERESTED!" She felt a hint of blushing down her throat as she realized that everybody, except those too drunk to hear, stared at her.

"C'mon, babe..."

"RENO!"

"Ok ok... Got the message!" _'Damn, that woman is fiery!'_

Reno wasn't in a very good mood when he returned to Rude. He threw himself onto his chair, pouting. Rude smirked at him and reached out his hand for his gil.

**ooOoo**

Tifa couldn't sleep. _'Can't ShinRa just get a grip?'_ She rolled over to her back and stared up at the ceiling. So what, if the bar wasn't the most luxurious place in town? It was HER bar and she had to fight like hell to get it running. Besides, helping people get drunk was more honest than ANY job that Rufus Shinra had to offer. She put her pillow over her head in an attempt to force her curiousity back. _'No need knowing what the job is, I'm still not taking it!'_

When dawn came, she finally fell asleep from exhaustion. She didn't even hear her alarm clock go off.

**ooOoo**

Denzel sneaked into Tifa's bedroom. Quickly, he turned off the alarm so it wouldn't wake her. She'd only been asleep for a couple of hours. He knew, since she'd been frantically throwing herself back and forth in nightmares everytime he'd checked on her.

He'd checked on her often, lately. Her nightmares came almost every night. He wasn't sure if she remembered them when she woke up, she never showed her worries to anyone.

He wrapped a blanket around her shaking body. His close presence made her calm down a bit and he kissed her on her forehead before going downstairs.

On his way down, the telephone rang. _'It's 7 am! Who's calling NOW?' _

Denzel hurried to the phone, not wanting Tifa to wake up.

"Hello?"

"Hello. I'm calling for Ms Tifa Lockheart." As the overprotective 12-yearold he was, he grew suspicious. Nowone ever called her anything else but "Tifa" or "Teef"

"Who's calling?"

"Ah. I'm Rufus Shinra. You must be Denzel."

"Maybe I am. What do you want?"

"I'd like to speak Ms Lockheart, if you don't mind." That wasn't a question.

"Sorry, but she's not available right now. Bye." He slammed down the phone and at the same moment, Marlene walked into the living room.

"Who was that?" She frowned. Denzel wasn't one to hang up on people like that.

"Some guy asking nosy questions bout Tifa..."

"Oh..."

"C'mon. We gotta get to school."

**ooOoo**

This time, Rufus wasn't smiling. He bursted out from his office and walked toward the elevator. _'So, she's not available?' _he thought as he walked out on the street outside the ShinRa Headquarter. _'We'll see about that!'_

Within the hour, he knocked on the front door of Seventh Heaven. Nowone answered. He knocked twice. Still nothing.

He decided to invite himself in and opened the unlocked door. The house was quiet. Almost. Something was moving upstairs. He gripped his gun firmly and walked up to the second floor.

Movements and groans catched his attention from a room further downs the hall. Rufus sneaked closer to the wall, not wanting the "whatever-it-was" to see him. Suddenly, the movements got wilder and wilder. Rufus took his chance and rushed inside the room.

He stopped so suddenly that he almost fell over. It wasn't some intruder. It was Tifa, in her bed, having some sort of nightmare.

He put his weapon away after securing it. _'I have to wake her...'_

Rufus sat down at the side of the bed, putting a hand on Tifa's arm. At first, she calmed down, but not long after that she became just as wild as before. Pulling her into his arms, he locked her in his grip.

"No! No, let me go! I can't fight you any more..." Her last sentence came out as a whisper, but it still shook Rufus to the bone.

"Sch... Tifa, wake up. It's just a nightmare." It took him a while to calm her down. A part of him didn't want her to ever wake up. He'd never seen her so vulnerable before. He felt a sudden urge to protect her, but he knew that she wouldn't tolerate any behavior like that from anyone. She was kind and loving, but if someone treated her in a way that she didn't approve of she'd snap their heads. She was a force of nature, and that's why he needed her so much.

Her skills in the martial art, in any fighting art, were above the ordinary. With her by his side, he'd be able to teach the youngsters how to RELLY fight.

The fact that he wanted her for entirely other reasons as well was something he wasn't ready to admit to himself yet.

**ooOoo**

Tifa couldn't move. She wasn't aware of anything else yet. She was too dizzy. _'Am I paralysed?' _But then she saw two arms around her body and she looked up into Rufus' grinning face.

"Good morning, Ms Lockheart." He said, holding her steady, ignoring her attempts to break free.

"Let go of me!"

"I think you need to work with that morning temper, Ms Lockheart." She kept on kicking and sqirming and eventually, he let her go. She jumped off the bed, her eyes narrow as she glared at him.

"So this is what you call successful persuasion? Attacking people in their sleep?!"

"I didn't..."

"Get out! I don't want your fucking job!"

"Ti-..."

"I said OUT!" With that, she made an Eagle Spiral, kicking him through the corridor and down the stairs. She ran to the top of the stairs, watching him rise groggily.

"And I don't want you to EVER put ypur foot in this house again!"

Rufus stood up, facing her. He tried to stare her down, but she'd never fall for that trick. She pointed to the door.

"OUT!"

Rufus sighed and left.

**ooOoo**

The silverhaired man with the mako eyes watched as President Shinra left the mansion. _'Perhaps I need to make my move earlier than I planned. I can't let him get in my way...'_

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	3. Encounters

**A//N; I know... It's been REALLY long since I've updated this. Things kinda got in my way...**

**kaza85: Of course I can make more scenes like that. Sadly, I can't give away too much. It could ruin the plot...**

**REVIEW!!!**

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_She pushed herself to her limit as she ran through the city, but she wasn't fast enough. She never was. He was right behind her and he was cutting close. Knowing that she'd lose speed if she looked behind, she hoped that he wasn't close enough see her dive into a tavern. The place was packed with people. 'Good. He can't get me here...'_

_But fooling herself with thinking good thoughts didn't work. Before she made it to the crowd, he locked her arms behind her. "You thought you could outrun me?"His cold breath swept along the side of her neck, sending chills down her spine. _

"_Don't do this... plea-..."_

"_What? You beggin' now? Too weak to fight?" _

_She wanted to beat him up! Show him that he couldn't break her. But it was a little late for that. She had used what little strength she had left in her attempt to flee from him. And she still wouldn't have a chance to win. His mako-infected body was impossible for her to make any impact on._

_He had used all means to break her, and she wouldn't be able to resist the torture much longer. Now, she found herself on the verge of giving in. But to get on her knees and beg, that would declare him the winner. She didn't beg. Never! She'd rather die than give him what he wanted. _

_He dragged her out on the street, keeping to the shadows to avoid people from getting suspicous. With one hand covering her mouth and another tightly around her waist, he pushed her before him, back to the place they'd come from._

_When back in the basement, she found herself being handcuffed, like so many times before. She watched him take out his tools, knowing what would be next. So, she didn't beg, but she screamed._

**

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**

Tifa woke up by the sounds of her own screaming. Confused, she looked around her, but he wasn't there. _'I almost wish he was. So I can beat him once and for all.' _

Another nightmare. They came almost every night now, never allowing her to rest her exhausted mind. She knew the kids where getting more worried by the day, walking around in circles around her, making her feel like a bad parent. It wasn't fair on them that she sometimes was too tired to give them the attention they deserved. She had to find a way to make it up to them. Somehow.

Trying to relax her body from the extreme tension that the nightmares caused her, she realized that she was soaking in sweat. _'Great! I changed the sheets last night.' _She sighed and quickly got out of bed, aiming for the bathroom.

When she finally could step in the hot bathtub, she let her thoughts wander, but carefully avoided the nightmares. Letting her dreams dwell in the past was enough. She had a new life now, thinking of those bad dreams while she was awake was just pointless.

It had been a couple of weeks since she found Rufus Shinra in her bed. There had been no word from him since that day. But she knew the president of the ShinRa Company. He wouldn't give up so easy. Most likely, he was planning something to get her over to his side. She just didn't know what. _'What does he want with me? It's not like we get along really well...'_

**ooOoo**

Tifa must have dozed off since she woke up, hearing Cloud's muffled voice out from the corridor.

"_Tifa? I hope it's okay that I'm using your bathroom. I really need to take a shower!"_

And before she had the chance to stop him, she witnessed how the doorknob turned and the door opened widely. _'Crap! I forgot to lock the door!'_ In came Cloud, taking at least two long, manly strodes before stopping abruptly at the sight of a naked Tifa in the bathtub. He just stared for a moment, totally stunned. It didn't take long though, until a light blush appeared on his throat as he quickly backed out, mumbling his excuses. The door shut with a bang, as if it had a lot of weight-force.

She couldn't help it. She tried desperately, but she really couldn't! As much as she tried to stop it, laughter bubbled up her throat. She laughed so hard that tears ran down her face. _'He... He looked so cute! Like a little boy with his hands down the cookie-dough...' _When she heard the chuckles from the other side of the door, she gave in for a fulltime gag, loud enough to make Yuffie shine with pride.

**ooOoo**

In the kitchen downstairs, Marlene did her best to make Tifa and Cloud some breakfast. She wasn't all too used to cooking, but she really wanted to make something special once Cloud was on a visit. She was suspicous, though. Noticing the glances between him and Denzel, she had a feeling that something was going on. Denzel had been acting strange for several days, talking in the phone at night and generally lurking around.

Right now, the boy and the man sat by the table, eating the food while politely complimenting Marlene for her very unusual scrambled eggs with chocolate cream. Both looked at Tifa with gazes filled of torment when she entered the kitchen.

Placing herself in one of the chairs by the table, her eyes swept over the mess Marlene had managed to make. _'Gonna take some time to clean all that up...' _With a deep sigh she poured herself one big cup of coffee. Raising the mug to her face, a smile lingered on her lips. Cloud noticed and opened the newspaper with a nonchalant expression.

"Nice to see that you haven't lost that timid humour of your's..."

Catching her off guard, she snorted with laughter, causing herself to inhale coffee through her nostrils. She glared at him while coughing. "Don't push it, bad boy!"

Cloud only answered with a chuckle.

"What?" The kids stared at them quizzily. They didn't know what had happened upstairs.

"It's nothing." Tifa assured them, shaking her head. Once again, she faced Cloud at the other side of the table. "So... What brings you here?"

Cloud glanced over towards Denzel before answering. "Thought I'd stop by. It's been a while since I saw you..."

"Then I guess you will stay here with Denzel and Marlene while I make some arrends in the city?"

"Sure. We have a lot to catch up on..."

**ooOoo**

Once Tifa had left the house, the trio moved into the living room. They seated themselves in various places. No one said anything until Cloud broke the silence by asking:

"Are you sure something's wrong? Tifa seems fine to me."

"You haven't seen the nightmares yet." Denzel stated. "Wait 'til then..."

"Wait." Marlene looked over at Cloud. "Is that why you're here? Because of Tifa? Denzel! Is this why you've been sneaking around so much, these past few days? You called Cloud?"

Denzel squirmed a little in the couch, he'd dread the moment when Marlene would find out that he'd acted behind her back.

"How could you, Denzel? How could you?! Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends!"

"Marlene-..." But she was gone. Soon, the loud sound of her slamming a door shut made Denzel lean deeper down the couch with a groan. "There will be no livin' with her now!"

Cloud hid his smile while patting the boy's back. "Easy, she'll get over it..."

He straightened in his seat as he remembered something Denzel had mentioned. His smile disappeared and was replaced by a deep frown.

"What were you saying about nightmares?"

**

* * *

**

The town was propped with people. They where everywhere! Tifa did her best to elbow her way through the masses, but it wasn't too easy with her arms full of grocery bags. _'Why did I have to go on a Saturday morning?' _

It was nice of Cloud to come by for a visit, but she really missed Marlene's help. Usually, she followed Tifa to the mall and kept her company.

Walking down the Shinra Boulevard, the stream of people scattered and Tifa finally got some space to breathe. But her relief didn't last long. Feeling the goosebumps spreading over her back and upper arms, her experiences in fighting allowed her to trust her instincts. And at that moment, she knew someone was following her.

She sped up her pace and turned around a dark corner to escape the unknown stalker. Hiding behind a large box, she peeked forth, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. The heavy footsteps stopped before they reached the corner. Tifa held her breath and prayed that he'd just keep on walking past the alley.

A few moments passed without any sound. She closed her eyes to calm herself down. There was no doubt that she could walk up to the man and kick his ass, but she really didn't feel like it. She didn't know why, but something held her back.

Suddenly, the person started to walk again and she opened her eyes, seeing nothing but long strands of silver hair swisch by. _'Holy-...! It almost looked like... No way! He's dead. Long gone... '_

Tifa proceeded to walk through the alley and a couple of minutes later she stepped out in the light, jumping high when a figure stepped up in front of her.

"Shit, Rufus!" She furiously slammed her fist on his strong chest. "Don't scare me like that!"

Rufus Shinra stared down at her, taking in the breathtaking view of a very pissed off Tifa Lockheart. She was beautiful and inaccessible, and he felt the desire for her burn like flames in his veins. Grabbing one of her fists with his own hand, he jerked her towards him.

"What the HELL are you doing?! Let go!"

"No..." He whispered. Tifa squirmed to free herself from his grasp, but he just held on even tighter.

Tifa faught against him as well as she could, but soon she had to admit her defeat. The way he locked her entire upper body against his own gave her no way to escape. She was stuck.

But the heavens showed mercy on her. A smirk appeared on her lips when she witnessed how the cold tip of a longsword pressed against Rufus' throat and made him stiffen.

A voice filled with dark emotions filled the sudden silence. "Hands off!"

Rufus had no other choice but to let her go and back away. He turned to face the man and tell him that this was none of his business. His eyes widened with shock and no words came from his mouth.

Tifa had also realized who the owner of the Masamune was. In her perplexed confusion a name escaped under her breath:

"_Sephiroth..."_

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**A//N; Sorry, it's a little short..( Please review! I desperately need you to feed me with more inspiration. **

**The more inspiration I get, the better I write!! **

**REVIEW!!**


	4. Plans

**Here's chapter 4! Hope you like it...**

**Warning: Will contain one minor sexual detail, nothing graphic though, you'll be safe. Just wanted those who are under age to consider yourselves WARNED! **

**Disclaimer: All belongs to Square Enix...**

* * *

Tifa restrained her urge to laugh hysterically when she stared at the silver haired man before her. He was back _again_? Not matter how many times they defeated him, he just kept on coming back! Was it their mission of life, killing Sephiroth?

"You!" Rufus spat at the former general. "What's your mission this time? We've proved several times over that _you can't beat us_!"

Sephiroth's eyes were firmly attached to Rufus', he made no move to remove Masamune's blade from the other man's throat. "I have no wish for world domination, Shinra."

President Shinra wasn't as calm as he pretended to be. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Sephiroth, he may be a good shot, but he was useless in hand to hand battle. That was Tifa's specialty, but he'd be damned to have to hide behind her back, what would she think of him then?

"Then what _do_ you want?"

With a quick glance to Tifa, the former general eased his threatening grip around his sword. Having made such an aggressive move at his first encounter with _her_ was not to his benefit. Seeing her with Shinra was enough to tear his self control to pieces. He may not be controlled by Jenova's blood thirst anymore, and he definitely did not wish to harm innocent people, however, Rufus Shinra was not an innocent man. He had many sins to atone and abusing unwilling women was now one of them. The man could not go unpunished.

"What do _you_ want?" He retorted, very well aware that Rufus would not dare to answer the question in _her_ presence.

Rufus gasped. The hidden meaning had not passed unnoticed. Did Sephiroth want Tifa? Why? Before he could say anything, the other man continued.

"You can give up your hunt, Shinra. Your prey belongs to _me_." Sephiroth rose his sword once again. "Now leave, you are not wanted here and if you refuse, I will not stand for the consequences."

He had no choice, Sephiroth _would_ kill him. It was a better move to retreat and find a way to get rid of him, again, than foolishly be slaughtered by the worlds nemesis.

Tifa watched as Rufus slowly backed away from them and walked stoically down the street. She was so utterly confused that she hadn't been able to say more than a few words throughout the whole episode. She didn't know why, but she was a little fascinated. The two men couldn't have been more hostile towards each other, still, which was what fascinated and confused her, there seemed to have been some sort of understanding between them. All their cryptic talks about wanting, hunts and preys, what was that?

She turned her gaze to the ex-general and felt a rage rise in her that she hadn't felt in years. Not since… Never mind. She didn't want to go into _that_. Let's just say she was pissed.

"Why? Why are you back? AVALANCHE will beat you every time you come back, so why don't you get a grip?! You come back, we kill you, end of story. No use repeating at all over and over! Just go back to whatever dark corner of hell you came from and stay there, damn it!"

She breathed heavily after her ranting and half expected Sephiroth to impale her gut with the Masamune. But no. Hate didn't glimmer his eyes, instead, a small smirk tugged the corner of his lips as he bowed with a mocking gaze.

"As you wish, Ms Lockhart. I will return to 'whatever dark corner of hell I came from'. I shall give you time to cool down, but I will be back." With that he turned around. As he started walking, he glanced over his shoulder. "I'll see you around…"

* * *

It took Tifa two hours to come home. She'd been on her way to the car when she remembered that she'd left the grocery bags behind the old boxes in the alley. Thankfully, no one had stolen all her things when she finally found them, she wasn't in the mood to go buy everything a second time. 

When she got home, there was a note on the fridge which told her that Cloud had taken the kids out for ice cream and that they should be back in a few hours. It felt good, not having to give all her attention to Marlene and Denzel and give herself some alone quality time instead. One couldn't say she didn't have a lot on her mind.

Sitting in her favourite armchair in her bedroom she contemplated the day's event. She knew she should tell Cloud everything, but something stopped her from calling his PHS. He'd finally come to starts with living out his life again and bringing up the encounter with Sephiroth would just cause him to close himself up. He didn't need that one more time.

Who_could_ she talk to? Not Reeve, he would engage Cloud in the matter and then things would repeat once more. Not Barret or Cid, she wasn't really sure how they'd react, but knowing them, it wouldn't be in a good way. She couldn't call Vincent either, his PHS had been out of service the last week. Yuffie was totally out of the question. Not that she would be immature in the matter of Sephiroth's reappearance, in this issue she'd most certainly show some of the maturity she had as the young empress of Wutai and go off to hunt him down herself to revenge him for murdering her mother. Then she could get hurt or killed and that was just plainly a bad idea for the most important person of Wutai. Besides, Yuffie's phone had been unreachable the last week, too.

That left her with…herself. She'd have to go after him alone. But since she had no idea where he was, she'd have to wait until he appeared again, she had no doubt he would, he told her so himself, and then she'd either follow him to his demonic lair, or she'd take him on right away, whatever felt right at the time.

In the mean time, she'd act like nothing was wrong and spend her time with the kids and Cloud. No one was too know. She had to make sure Rufus didn't tell either. Maybe she should call him right away?

* * *

Rufus sat locked up in his office. He couldn't believe Sephiroth was back. And this time he didn't want world supremacy, he wanted something much more precious. He wanted Tifa. 

He had to do something! _'I can't let him get to her.' _The thoughts whirled around in his head. _'I have to get rid of him… I swear, the man's more annoying than a jumping clown in a box…'_

Darkness settled over the city. The only thing that lit up the room was the alarming traffic lights outside, but Rufus didn't care to turn the light swift on, he was to wrapped inside his thoughts to even bother. Something had to be done. Sephiroth was dangerous, especially with his mission. As he thought about it, the former general seemed to be a bit…off. Rufus hadn't been able to sense the usual air of evil the man usually surrounded himself with. That was alarming enough, the history repeated itself once again, but the villain was different, and different meant unpredictable, which probably meant trouble. It was an all too all bad situation…

His phone rang. He didn't bother about that either. Whoever it was could give up waiting for him to pick up or leave a message.

It kept ringing.

"_You have reached President Shinra's office phone. Unfortunatley, he cannot take your call, but leave your name and number and he will call you when he can… "_ **Beep**

"_Rufus!"_Tifa's irritated voice was heard though the speakers of his answering machine. _"I know you're there so pick up!" _She made a short pause to see if he would actually answer. _"I said pick up! I'll sit here all night if I have to! We have to talk…"_

It twitched in his stomach when he thought about spending the whole night on the phone with her, but he was sure she had other things than telephone sex in mind. He didn't want to talk about Sephiroth, even though he knew it was childish of him not to pick up. He was not childish by nature, it was Tifa herself that caused him to act in other ways than he usually did.

"_You wouldn't believe how much you learn about patience when __you have two adopted kids and a best friend like Yuffie…"_

The chatting continued in an attempt to wear him out and, well… it worked. Yuffie must've given her lessons in persuasions because most of her words sounded like they would have come out of the ninja's mouth instead of her's. Sighing, he picked the phone up.

"Yes, Tifa?"

"_Well, took longer than I'd thought. I could never do it as good as Yuffie, though…"_

He was getting tired of how many times the shinobi's name had been used and it showed in a scowl only he was aware of. Honestly, he'd never gotten along very well with the ninja anyways. Her only use was the connections to Wutai that he gladly took advantage of whenever he could.

"I know you want to discuss Sephiroth. You don't have to worry, I'll take care of it…"

"_No, you wont."_

"Excuse me?"

"_I want you to promise me that you won't take care of him…"_

"Why?! He's dangerous! I have to do _something_!"

"_But not right now. Give me some time to do some research. And by the way, he hasn't killed anyone yet. I don't know what he's after, but I want a chance to find out. If I can't handle it, or if he kills someone, he's all yours, ok?"_

"No."

Neither of them were in any position to give their case up, so they spent the remainder of the night on the phone, arguing their points. Tifa, of course, won at the end and made him swear not to talk about what had happened to anyone.

A defeated President Shinra put his head in his hands and asked himself what the hell he'd gotten himself into…

* * *

Sitting in a dark corner of his newly bought mansion, Sephiroth let pictures of Tifa Lockheart flash before his closed eyes. She was as beautiful as ever, and as lively and soulful as when he'd first met her many years ago…

* * *

**Well... Hope you liked it. If any of you missed some of the regular elements that have occured in the earlier chapters, fear not my friends, they will be back! I just had a really good day today, so I guess the language is a little more humoristic than usually. Does it show? If it does, I hope you won't stop reading because I don't intend to make this another parodic unserious thing. But life's not life without some humour... It's needed in times of darkness... And the darkness will come into Second Chances, be sure of that...  
**

**Seraphaguin: As you see, I managed to solve the "Grocery Bag Problem"!**

**kaza85: Thank you so much for your ideas! I will most definitely use some of them in the following chapters!**

**Silent Comet: Yeah, Sephiroth's a little OOC, but just as you said, he did just come back from the dead.. And by the way, he's no longer controlled by Jenova... Best we cut him some slack )**

**My thanks to all other readers who have reviewed the last chapter! I hope you still want to read this and review this chapter to! I like getting reviews, they make me smile... **

**So, go along! Make me smile!**


	5. Discussions

**A/N:**** Yes people, I'm as shocked as you are... An update that _didn't_ make you wait for over a month... I know the chapters aren't very long, I'll probably keep them to about 2000 words... but no less than that! **

* * *

Cloud stared at Tifa with a frown of concern. Ever since he woke up by disturbing sounds about an hour ago, he'd been watching Tifa from a chair by her bed. At first, his presence and his continuing caress of her arms and chin had worked to calm her down, but it didn't last very long, after a while, she'd started to struggle with heavy pantings and sweat dripping from her temples.

When Denzel had told him about the nightmares, he'd thought it was just some scare she had gotten. After saving the world a few times, even he got nightmares sometimes. Now, seeing her in the state she was in, he realized that Denzel had had every reason to worry. Something was really wrong. He wasn't able to soothe her, and there was no way to wake her up. She was lost in her dream.

"You see what I mean?"

Cloud looked up with a start, eyeing Denzel who was leaning against the door. His gaze returned to Tifa as he answered quietly. "Yes, I see what you mean…"

_What happened, Teef?' _Of course she wouldn't respond, not even if he asked her out loud when she was awake. It wasn't in her nature to talk about such things.

Denzel walked up to the other side of the bed, grasping Tifa's hand and refused to let it go when she tried to pull away. He'd seen her like this enough to know how to consol her as much as possible. Tifa played the role of both a mother and a sister, she was the best of both parts with the concern of a mother and the best friend material of a sister, she was there whenever he needed her to, and at the moment, _she_ needed _him_.

* * *

_She couldn't move! For a second, she feared she had taken too much torture, that her nerves were too damaged to work properly. But her head was clear enough to take in the information that her limbs could move, they were just tied down. _

_She looked around. The room was different, he must've moved her. It was surprisingly bare of any of the furniture and devices that she'd grown accustomed to with white walls and floor. She felt like she was locked inside a cube of innocence and her black clothes stained its purity. _

_She had been innocent once. Before Sephiroth came to Neibelheim, before he got in a fight with Zack and Cloud, before Cloud and her got separated by the medics, before she ended up here. It felt like ages ago, when she'd believed that all evil could be beaten. This place had gotten her out of those dreams rather quickly. There were people who lived for causing pain on others, the enjoyed it, and she, Tifa Marie Lockhart, had to get caught in the trap of such a man. He'd tortured her body and mind just to find out how much she could take and now she was on the verge of giving in. For weeks, months, she'd been able to stand her ground, but she was no miracle. She couldn't take it much longer._

_Her features showed nothing of her inner turmoil as she heard him step up behind her. _

"_I guess you've already noticed we're in a different place, Ms Lockhart?" _

'_Ms Lockhart'? Since when did he use that phrase? It had always been 'bitch', 'whore' or anything like it. _

_He stopped by her side, smirking down to her in his own, disgusting way. Turning her head slightly, she shot a glare at him before she closed her eyes so she didn't have to look at the maniac._

"_You've learned some manners." She mumbled, loud enough for him to hear her. "I guess that's one step in the right way…"_

_It had never taken her much time to make him snap, and this was no different. Yanking her head back by grasping her hair in its roots, he leaned down to hiss in her ear._

"_Don't push your luck, bitch! As soon as I'm done with you, I'll let you join your pitiful father in the Lifestream…"_

_The grip of her scalp loosened and he surprised her by leaving the room. She gasped in relief, this would hopefully give her some time to explore the room further. If she could find the slightest chance to escape, she was out of there. _

_Enough was enough!_

* * *

"You called for me, Sir?"

Rufus turned his chair around, he'd been gazing out the window for the last hour, torn by his thoughts. He'd promised Tifa he'd stay out of it until she got the answers she wanted, and as much as he respected her strength in battle, she couldn't let her risk her life like that. It was better to let the Turks handle everything. She already seemed to hate him, not that he really knew why, sure they'd been out to rule the world once, but he'd changed when she'd showed him what was truly important in life.

During the war against Sephiroth, he'd met her a few times, while they we're on the opposite sides. Against his better judgement, the newly proclaimed President of ShinRa found himself disturbingly fascinated of the young woman who showed to be not only a caring and gentle mother figure to AVALANCHE and all who depended on them, but also an incredibly fierce fighter. She believed that everyone was worth protecting, no matter their race, history or social status.

"Sir?"

Rufus looked up with a start. How long had Tseng stood there? He fought the flush that threatened to rise on his cheeks and started to organize the documents lying on his desk, waiting to be signed. _'I hate paperwork…' _he thought with a sigh before he gave his second in command his full attention.

"Tseng, I want you to gather up the others for a meeting here in one hour. This is first priority, so make sure Reno is here on time…"

"Yes, Sir. Was there anything else?"

"No, you are dismissed."

* * *

"That's it! What's going on here?"

Tifa had suffered the entire morning! Wherever she went, they followed and now, at the breakfast table, they treated her like a baby with chicken pox. And the stares, they sure tried to be discreet about it, but really, she weren't _that_ oblivious to her surroundings! She was sick of it, and she wanted answers. Now!

At least Cloud had the decency to look guilty. Marlene shot an _'I told you so'_-glare toward Denzel who looked like he'd just found something extremely interesting in his plate with bacon and eggs. Their behaviours weren't exactly what you would call innocent…

"Go on. Spill!"

Denzel sighed and opened his mouth to talk, but Cloud beat him to it.

"Can I talk to you? In private…"

Tifa gave him a nod and the two left the table to settle down in the living room. Cloud's grim face made her cringe in her seat. Did… Did he know? She'd kept quiet about Sephiroth's appearance, but what about Rufus? She should have known he wouldn't do as they'd agreed! What would she say if Cloud confronted her about it? She just wanted to keep her family and friends safe, even if she had to hunt him down and kill him herself. But she doubted Cloud would see it that way. He was still the overprotecting, and sometimes annoying, big brother she'd never had…

"So?"

"We're worried about you, Teef…"

Oh no… Not the nightmares. She'd rather talk about Sephiroth than the nightmares.

"Cloud, it's nothing to worry about. I'm fi-…"

"No. Don't tell me you're 'fine'! With nightmares like your's, you're _not_ fine, far from it."

"_Nightmares like mine? How would he know? He has no idea what I dream of…"_Nothing could make her talk about what caused her dreams at night, it was her problem to deal with. Still, she needed to know just how much he knew about her nightmares.

"What do you mean with 'nightmares like mine'?"

Cloud rose from his chair and started to pace around before her.

"They're not normal, Tifa. Denzel told me that they come to you almost every night, but you refuse to listen when they ask you about it!"

"It doesn't concern them!"

"Tifa!" He'd stopped his pacing at her statement to glare at her accusingly. "How can you sa-..?"

"No! Look at me, Cloud! Do I _look_ like there's something wrong with me?"

It was a long shot by far. Deep down, she knew the lack of good sleep affected her, she was tired and more than a little temperamental. Hopefully, none of that showed in her features.

"You take on too much responsibility, Teefs." Cloud had stepped up to her, brushing away some loose strands from her face. "You can't take the whole world's well being on your shoulders, you know."

"Coming from the man who's saved the world three times…"

"We all saved the world, Tifa. It wasn't just me…"

He gave her a sheepish smile that she couldn't help but return. It had been a long time since he'd smiled like that and it made her even more determined not to tell him about Sephiroth. He deserved some time off…

"Maybe you're right, though. I guess I could need a break from everything." This was her chance. She had the opening she needed. "I need to get away from everything…"

"Why don't you take a vacation for a couple of days? Just go to someplace you haven't been to for a while. I'll call Yuffie and Vincent, we'll take care of the kids…"

"Yuffie and Vincent? You need them to help you take care of _two_ children?"

"If I'll stay here, I might as well call them over. It's been too long since I saw them."

"Good luck with that! I haven't been able to reach either of them for a week-…"

Wait a minute. They were both gone, had been for a week. Both phones were out of service. Were they…?

According to the smirk tugging the corner of Cloud's mouth, they were. And he knew all about it!

"You punk! You knew all along!" Tifa gave him a playful punch on the arm. "Why didn't anyone tell _me_?"

"I just found out yesterday! Vincent called me about it last night…"

"And?"

"Yuffie needed to get away from her duties, they're tearing her down, even if she won't show it when we talk. So Vincent picked her up one night and took her to Costa del Sol… Then one thing led to another…"

"About time. But… I thought Yuffie had given up on him?"

"Well, her determination must be rubbing off on him, I got the impression he was the pushy one…"

"I'm so happy for them! So, did you get any instructions on how to reach them? I can call them if you want…"

"I've already invited them over…"

"Oh, really?"

In any other situation, Tifa would have been more than annoyed for Cloud taking her vacation for granted, but the sooner she got away, the better. She had to find Sephiroth…

* * *

"So, Boss… What's goin' down?"

"First of all, this is a First Class Mission. I expect your silence in this matter, if any of what I'm going to tell you is revealed to the public, we are, to put is as simple as possible, screwed. Discretion is everything. Second, this is our chance to show everyone that we no longer want to rule the world by fear."

"So… This is a big one?"

"Yes, Rude. It is a big mission and I won't deny the fact that you could die during it. If anyone wish _not _to participate in this, I suggest you leave now, no grudges held."

"'No grudges held'? Yo, this is serious!"

"Shut it, Reno!" Elena turned her gaze to her employer. "We risk our lives every day, Sir. Personally, I'd prefer dying in a First Class Mission than being run down by a bus."

The others nodded their agreements and Rufus began with the instructions. Each word he uttered gradually changed the Turk's expression until their tasks were clear. Their Boss had been right when he said it was big. There was no time to play around when they had work to do…

* * *

**A/N;**** Okay... I'm sorry if you find a lot of grammar faults, but I don't have much time for details, it's storming outside and my interet service can shut down any minute now! **

**And if you thought the Yuffie/Vincent discussion was totally out of place, it's not. Things will be explained later on in the story... The whole plot will start by the next chapter...  
**

**Please review this! I need inspiriation like nothing else... **


	6. Stalkings

Tifa didn't wait longer than necessary to take off. In fact, she left the same day Cloud unconsciously gave her the loophole she'd been waiting for. She'd told him she'd go to Costa del Sol for some alone time, but instead, she had checked in at the sloppy motel just outside of town.

As she explored the small, dusty room she'd been given, she suppressed the groan of disgust. It was lucky she didn't plan on staying there for long, the bed looked extremely uncomfortable, and the tucked in sheets were worn and tattered, stained with… Ugh, she didn't even want to think about _what _that was! A small table was placed in a corner of the room, next to the window. Tifa had emptied all the belongings she'd bothered to take with her on the rickety table. The room was small enough for her to sit on the bed and still reach the table, and while eating a multi bar, she went through it all, making a mental list on what she had to buy before she left to start tracking down Sephiroth.

She had enough Gil to last for a month, but she really should take out some more just in case. Her Materia required upgrades and her sneakers were too worn out. A trip to the black market down town was necessary. She could get what she needed in the mall, but the risk of bumping into someone she knew was too big. The black market was a safe bet.

Without looking back, Tifa practically fled the room and made her way down town.

* * *

Sephiroth had not expected her to show up in the darkest part of the slums, he had not expected her to be there at all. But he was intrigued nevertheless, what business had she here? He was well aware that Tifa Lockhart was a woman fully capable of taking care of herself, but _her_ he wanted not to come in harms way, and these quarters were no place for any woman.

That was why he had spent the last half hour following her around, watching her negotiate with some of the most hard-bribed crooks on Gaia. What was that woman up to? He'd have thought she'd told her friends about his reappearance as soon as they'd parted only a few days ago, but he had heard nothing, and that fact worried him more than he wanted to admit. Not even Rufus Shinra had made any move to dispose his rival from the face of the world and that surprised him more than Tifa's calm in the situation. Rufus was one foolish boy if he though he could win her heart when her true soul mate had, in fact, cleared his name in the Lifestream just to be able to claim her as his, as long as she would willingly give him her heart.  
Sephiroth knew he had a long way ahead to make his personal desires come true, but he swore that one day they would, and no one would ever think of him as 'the world's monstrous nemesis', but as a human being, a man that wanted nothing more than to make up for his sins and regain the Sephiroth he was before he made the gruesome mistake in letting Jenova take over his mind in the weak state he'd been in when he had just found out about his heritage, and his fate. Though it was many years from now, he remembered everything clearly, how he'd led a small troop of Soldiers into Neibelheim, where they'd met the daughter of one of the villagers who had been hired by ShinRa to guide them around. She was barely at the age of sixteen, and despite the remarkable age difference, Sephiroth had found himself desperately attracted to her. She had already developed remarkably in her features, her soft, womanly curves made him want to reach out and pull her near him, just so he could feel if her skin was as soft as it seemed to be. He had always been a possessive man, it was not something he was particularly proud of, but it was in his nature to take whatever he wished to take and keep it for as long as he wanted, so when she'd appeared before him in the little local inn, with an outfit that hugged her body like a second skin, and eyes that glittered flirtatiously under the big cowboy hat of hers, his body, as well as everybody else's, was bound to respond. But for him, it seemed to be about more than just lust, something else, something he'd never experienced before, made him want her for more than just one night, he wanted her for all eternity. To feel that way made him uncomfortable, because he refused to admit to himself that he was scared by his emotions, that would mean he was a disgrace to Soldier and everything he believed in.  
The day he'd found out who he really was, he did not only hate ShinRa for what they had done to his body and mind, but also because Tifa Lockhart suddenly was out of his reach. The night before, he'd made the decision to wait her out for a few years, let her grow up to the woman she gave such seductive promises of becoming, and while waiting for his moment to come he would carefully eliminate all threats in the appearance of other men. And Jenova had taken advantage of his broken mental picture, adding more fuel to his rage by telling him that if it where not for ShinRa's experiments she would have been _his_. It wasn't until much later, after the remnants' attempt to bring him back, that he'd grasped the fact that Jenova was the one truly to blame for his agony, with her manipulative reasoning _she_ had been the one to drive him further from sanity, providing him with both accusations and solutions in his quest to avenge the wrongs done upon him.

Sephiroth still suffered from nightmares of the night when Neibelheim was on fire. He could still see a crying Tifa Lockhart run up the stairs to the mako-tower where he was trying to free Jenova from her bounds, he saw the hate and betrayal in her eyes and he'd known that she knew he was the one who'd killed her father, and that she was out for vengeance of the loss of her only family. His mind and body may have been controlled by Jenova, but his heart revolted to his actions when he was forced to fight her off. That night, he knew for certain that she was lost for him. Who could ever love a monster such as the 'one winged angel'?

* * *

"Reno, are you in position?"

"Yeah, I'm watchin' him right now."

"Good. Do you have a clear shot?"

"No… Not yet."

Reno hated stealth missions! It was just his damn luck that he'd been the one picking the shortest straw in taking the front-sniper position. Being still for hours did wonders to his patience. Not.

The Turks had hacked into every surveillance camera in town to see if they could find him roaming the streets, killing whatever innocent who dared to come in his way, after all, the guy had to come out _some_ time. And he did come out, from a mansion just outside town. It was pure coincidence they even found out, a police chopper passed the area just in time to catch him wandering off down town in the camera. As soon as the news reached them, they took off to hunt him down. Even Tseng had raised his brows in surprise of finding him so quickly, either they were four really lucky Turks or the guy was just plain stupid, thinking he could walk around unworriedly. The whole population of Gaia wanted him dead for fuck's sake! Where was his brain?

Suddenly, Sephiroth stopped at a dark alley, staring into it as if he had been walking to meet someone at a fuckin' alley? Well, Reno weren't about to ask him why he made appointment at such a weird place, it had finally given him a clear shot to take him down…

"Yo, Tseng. I can take him down… Permission?"

"Granted."

The redheaded Turk raised his sniper, aimed and at the same moment he fired… "_Fuck!_"

* * *

Tifa made a turn and sneaked into the shadows of a dark alley. Someone was following her. Again. But this time she hoped that whoever did the stalking would come into her view sooner rather than later, she was growing more than tired of having to glance over her shoulder each and every second without any sign of who was watching her every step. She was a little worried that it would be Cloud who trailed her in order to see that she was alright, or, even worse, Yuffie. The ninja took every chance she got to come down to these parts of Midgar and spend the day stealing and stealthing, making sure she still had her touch. But the one to stop at the opening of the valley was none other than the man she was looking for.

'_I'm not ready yet!_' she groaned inwardly. '_I can't kill him here, there's too much people around…_'

What was she supposed to do? Make small talk? To her relief, Sephiroth beat her to it.

"I must say you have surprised me, Tifa." His mako enhanced eyes sparkled with something she couldn't quite read.

"Oh, really?" She spat at him, making the decision that attack was the best defence.

"Yes, but for the better, I assure you."

"Care to tell me why?"

"Not really." Sephiroth smirked at her scowling features. "But I can tell you that you have become just as beautiful as I predicted you to be, if not a little more livid…"

"What do you mean predicted? You sound like some pervert observing me as a girl…"

Sephiroth clearly didn't like that comparisation, due to his suddenly tense posture and the pulsing vein beneath his jaw. Good. He deserved it.

"I am no pervert, Tifa Lockhart, and you surely were no little girl when we first met. You should make sure to remember that fact in the future…"

"Future? What future? If you have your way, there will probably be no future for human kind to remember, seeing as how you always want it to be destroyed."

"I told you I do not wish for that to happen. I want something much more valuable…"

"And what's that?"

Sephiroth remained quiet and Tifa wondered if he would actually tell her what he wanted this time, she probably didn't want to hear it anyways. But then he straightened, as if he'd made his decision whether to tell her or not. He kept his mako eyes locked in hers as he answered her question.

"I want you."

She should have known he wouldn't tell her the truth. Why would he want her to know? Tifa reprimanded herself quietly, telling herself that of course he wouldn't tell her, every villain kept their plans to themselves until they thought it safe to warn and scare their victims without risking the outcome of their plot. But to say he wanted _her_, that was just the last drop.

"Didn't you mom tell you not to tell lies?" She said as she leaped forward in an attack, only to stop as she felt a jolt sear through the side of her back. She looked down, watching in confusion as her blood dripped down her side and to the cold ground. Stumbling forward, her eyes locked at the terrified look on her enemy's face before everything went black around her.

* * *

**A/N;**** I think my cat is my muse. Never have a real flow in my writing if she's not by my side (or on my keyboard, chasing the arrow). Pity I only see her a couple days a week...**

**Sorry about the grammar! I skipped it in order to get it up on time... (Go to my profile for better information about my stories and what's going on...)**

**Well... I'll see you in 2 weeks! Please leave a review on your way out! **


	7. Alliances

"I've been waiting for you, you know…"

Tifa slowly opened her eyes, the brightness all around her was almost blinding.

That voice…

She knew that voice. She knew that pink dress, and those girlish braids of warm brown hair. But how?

"Aerith?"

"In the flesh!" Oh, how she had missed that gentle laughter. Never harsh, or mad, or evil. Just kind. Like _she_ was.

Barely even noticing, Tifa had swapped from lying on the ground, to standing right before her. With a hand on her aching stomach, she fought to regain control over her rootless thoughts.

She had been talking to Sephiroth, she was sure of it. And then… Then that jarring pain. Was she…?

"Am I… in heaven?"

More heavenly laughter. "No, silly. Look around you."

So she did. She took in the flowery scent of lillies on the ground, the pillars, leaning more on each other than they were standing on their own, the majestic windows. "Oh."

"I guess you could say it that way…"

"Cloud told me about his meetings with you, is this the same thing?"

"Almost. Though he truly believed I wanted to reach back to him, _you_ just think you've lost your mind this time."

"How did you...?"

"You're not, actually. But you are, however, unconscious from the mortal world for the moment. Reno hit you quite good."

"Good? You say I got shot in the stomach by Reno, and that's a _good_ thing?"

"Well, yes. You don't have the same mako-connection to the Lifestream as Cloud, so this little injury came in pretty handy. I needed to see you."

"What for?"

"Sephiroth."

She should have seen that coming, of course it was about him. "You don't have to worry, I'll take care of it. I'll send him straight back to hell when I get my hands on him!"

"I would prefer if you wouldn't…"

"What?"

"He didn't come back to destroy the world this time, Tifa. He came to save it."

"But he's Sephiroth, world-dominion has always been his goal to…!"

"Dilly dally, shilly shally! It wasn't always like that, and you know it. Can't you remember? Before the Nibleheim Massaker, the day you first met him, was that really what you thought of him?"

Silently, Tifa questioned herself as to how Aerith could know about that encounter. It had occurred before they had gotten to know each other, and the only ones present that day in Niebelheim had been her, Sephiroth and…Zack?

The brunette must have seen it on her face as she giggled in glee. "The Lifestream is a true paradise for gossip girls like us. Even better than Vogue!"

"Oh, really?" Tifa mumbled. "So Zack's joined your little chitchat society too? Wonders do happen…"

"That's not the issue here, Tifa. Now _how_ did you _feel_?"

"I felt…" First she thought of lying, but Aerith could be as stubborn as a donkey if she set her mind to it, so it was probably less painful just to spill it all. "I felt interested. Intrigued, I guess… Like nothing, no one, I've ever seen before."

"Another question." Aerith paused watering the flowers around her. "Do you think you could feel so again? No hate or anger…"

Was she kidding? Of course not! The man was a maniac!

"What's all this about, Aerith? I don't understand where you're going with this…"

"Sephiroth is back, but this time he wishes to reconcile with the world, hun. Not like these other couple of incidents."

Incidents? Well, that was one way to put it…

"But you see, Tifa, he needs your help. Your help, because you saw him before he, literally,

went crazy. Because you, in your heart, know that he weren't really a bad man, just slightly… deranged."

"My goodness, and this is coming from the woman he murdered! I won't do it!"

"He didn't murder me, dear. It was I who sacrificed myself for the greater good…"

"Bu-…!"

"No 'buts', Tifa. That is what it all came down to, a sacrifice for the greater good. Do you truly wish to stop a man who's only wish is to find a way back to the man he was, and a way to believe it will be worth it? Is he truly that different from Cloud? I ask you as a friend to trust him, just this once… and maybe you'll find something for yourself, too. It's a chance of a lifetime… You know I believe that life is an adventure for everyone. I have had my adventure, and so has Zack, Cloud and Vincent. This one may be yours."

"Is this really what I have to do? Trust _him_?"

"At least don't try to kill him the moment you see him, okay? Let him talk first, and then make your decision as to how you'll handle the situation."

She had to be crazy. Perhaps she'd hit her head too? Because this couldn't be sane, chatting with a dead friend, hearing her talking herself warm about the man who had been the world's nemesis for ages, begging her to _trust_ him. And she had to be even crazier to take her seriously.

"I just have to listen first?" Aerith nodded, she knew she'd won this argument, as always. "Okay. I guess I can do that."

"Thank you." Smiling warmly, the Ancient turned to tend her flowers.

For a long moment, Tifa rejoiced the warm, peaceful feeling of having, for just a moment, a chance to actually meet her again.

"Aerith…?" she whispered.

"Yes, hun?"

"I miss you."

Slowly, the flower girl turned to face her, a sorrowful hint tracing her smile. "I know. But you need to go now. Good luck."

"Yeah…"

"Oh! And Tifa?"

Oh yes, please yes, just a minute, second, whatever, more! "Yes?"

"Be careful."

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"GOOD MORNIN', AVALANCHE!"

Cloud groaned into his pillow. It was far to early to deal with Yuffie's horrible ways of making every household along the street, perhaps a few more, wake up at six AM by running around the house, clapping saucepan lids together, making a horrendous clatter loud enough to wake Sephiroth up from his wake.

In a flash of black and skin and steel, she'd ravished through his room, jumped his bed, more directly _him, _just to disappear as fast as she'd come to proceed her erratic terrorism in another room. Hopefully Denzel's. He was such a lazybone in the morning…

Vincent appeared in the doorway and Cloud sent him an accusing glare. It was_ his_ fault, too. Couldn't the gunman knock some sense in the brat?

"I apologize for the rude awakening, but troubles are brewing."

"The sorts of trouble that justifies a crazy ninja to cause severe hearing imparement?"

"Yes." Vincent deadpanned.

"Oh…"

"Be ready in three minutes," the gunman stated and turned to leave. "We are called to the ShinRa HQ."

ShinRa's Headquarters? That _was_ trouble…

So five minutes later, Cloud emerged from the stairs, dragging a grumpy Denzel behind him. Marlene was ready and waiting downstairs, clinging to Yuffie's neck, which, according to the strangled look on Yuffie, was quite a deathgrip it seemed, and bombarding her with questions of her latest adventure.

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"First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming," Rufus let his gaze sweep around to long conference table. All seats were occupied with members of Avalanche, the Turks, and the WRO. "Due to an unexpected turn of events, a very important and highly confidential crisis has now come to involve all of the assembled in this room, and therefor, I have called to this meeting."

This had not been an easy decision for him to make. Before this, he'd thought no one else needed to know, he could've handled it all just fine, if not for Reno's troublesome mistake. He was _ShinRa_. He had _created_ Sephiroth, and within creation also lay the power to destroy him…

Such a rueful mistake it had been.

Within the matter of minutes, he had explained everything.

Almost.

Rufus carefully removed all personal details of his involvement with Ms Lockhart, but let the group in on Sephiroth's silent return, the hunt, Tifa's condition for him to stay out of it, his decision to break their deal, and Tifa, getting caught in the line of fire.

Usually, Rufus was not one who willingly stained his hands with murder, since those days were long gone, but this time, Reno had not been his favourite person in staff.

But what was done was done, and now he had do pick up the pieces.

Yuffie was the first to speak her thoughts. "Are you saying that Turkey here killed our Tifa?"

"Hey! It's not like I wanted that to happen, you _brat…_"

"Yeah, well, you did!"

"Shut up! You know nothin' 'bout this!"

"Wha'?!"

"Why don't you crawl back to your mama and suck your pathetic little thumb, kid? You don't belong in the grown up's department!"

"Oh, I'm _so_ gonna kick your turkey-fried ass!"

The lithe ninja had almost crossed over the table to jump Reno, but Vincent caught a hold on her in the nick of time and pushed her back in her seat, falling under her glare. For safety reasons, not only on behalf of Reno, he kept his grip firm just in case.

"Is this true?" he turned to ask Rufus. "Is Tifa truly dead?"

Rufus, who had kept his gaze on the on-coming brawl changed his attention towards the few who'd kept quiet.

"I hope she's not," he answered, "but I don't know for sure. By the time Tseng arrived to investigate the alley, there was no trace left. Not even a single drop of blood." He now raised his voice, using his voice of absolute authority to make them all listen. "Though it is a sad story that she is nowhere to be found, I have to see the disappearance as a token that she's still alive."

"I know you are all anxious about this situation, but right now, we need to make a plan on how to rid ourselves of this threat to mankind. If we are lucky, we will find Ms Lockhart as we go…"

No one needed to say what they all where thinking. Sephiroth had taken off, and he'd brought Tifa with him. There was only one bright side to that scenario, and that would be the chance that if he'd taken her with him, he didn't see a reason to kill her. Not _yet_ at least.

"So what's the grand plan, mister?" Yuffie chirped up from her place, Vincent still refusing to let go of his grip on her.

Four hours later, they'd gone on and on, trying to work out the best way to get rid of Sephiroth, save Tifa, and hopefully have the remainder of the world in a completely oblivious state throughout the whole mission. Not an easy task to say the least. Who wouldn't take a second look at a dead man with ridiculously well-kept hair?

As the scheming went on, Yuffie seemed to get more and more restless, giving Vincent a hard time keeping her in check. She didn't like where this was going at all. These hours they'd spent on going nowhere just increased the risk of Sephiroth – the rotten bastard! – getting away. They should be out there, dammit!

"Enough with this chit chat!" In the matter of a second, all eyes were on her. If it was because of her raised voice or the throwing star embedded in the table, she didn't know. "You guys can keep sitting here on your bitty behinds, but I won't! – no Vince, let me go! – I don't give a shit 'bout what you do, _I'm_ gonna hunt him down myself!"

"Hell ya will, kid! You ain't goin' nowhere gettin' yourself killed!"

"Stop calling me a kid! You're just a big wuss, huggin' your little spear and sucking on your cig! And_ you_," she turned and pointed to Rufus," you don't care about Tifa, you just don't want anything to spoil your new non-evil reputation…"

"I assure you Ms Kisaragi, that I am just as concerned about Tifa's safety as you are, but we have to take this on sensibly. Blindly searching the surface of Gaia can not be considered sensible."

"How else are we gonna find her? We haven't got any leads whatsoever!"

Cloud rose from his seat to stand by a fuming Yuffie. "She's right. A plan can't be made without clues, so it's no use for us to sit here. The best thing we can do is to split up in groups and take one area each…"

They were finally getting somewhere and within minutes it was decided that everyone were to take on the places they knew best, and then work their way out until they found something – _anything_ – worth following up.

A moment later, the room was emptied, save for Cloud and Vincent. In a silent understanding they'd both come to the decision that they both would accompany Yuffie to Wutai in order to make sure she didn't get into more trouble than necessary.

Cloud eyed his gunman friend with a quiestioning cock of his eyebrow. "You sure you're up for this?"

It wouldn't be much of a surprise if Vincent found Yuffie's Sephiroth mania a bit too much to handle. Sephiroth was a dangerous man, but if Yuffie wished to hunt him down, well… Let's just say she rarely did anything by halves.

But to his surprise, and relief, Vincent merely tipped his lip into a hapless smirk. "I prefer to see it all from the bright side nowadays. She is certainly crazy enough to pull it off, I just have to make sure she survives it…"

"_Hey, guys! What's this? A one girl revolution? Get your cute butts movin', broody-boys!"_

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**A/N:**** Yep. I'm still alive and kickin'. **

**So Rufus decided to form an alliance with Avalanche, eh? Desperate times and la di da... We'll see how their fragile cease of fire holds up when things start to heat. And how's Tifa going to deal with Sephiroth now? She may have promised not to kill him, but she sure as hell is going to give him a hard time! You'll find out when next chapter's up!**

**Many thanks to kaza85, Rogue Riley 666, rololover1, SickDeath, Kitsune6, midnight blue08, tif, riku91, Cup Cake, kitchounette and kira95. Hugs and cookies for you all!  
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**Gimme a review will ya? It makes my cat happy...  
**


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